Systems and methods for managing a retaining strap for a snowboard binding

ABSTRACT

An improved supplemental binding attachment scheme involving an extended strap and customizing tool enables customizing of a strapped article of leisure wear. The customizing tool may take the form of a stud, or any number of personalized shapes, including characters, strings, logos, icons and anything that attaches to show that any article belongs to a user. Kits, straps, and software-based instructions are likewise included in the present disclosure.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/804,198, filed Feb. 11, 2019, and U.S. Provisional Application No. 62/806,609, filed Feb. 15, 2019, which provisional applications are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties and for all purposes.

FIELD

The present disclosure relates generally to the field of binding systems and devices with improved attachment and detachment of the same. More particularly, the disclosure relates to those systems and devices which can be used to bind snowboards or other similar sporting apparatuses.

BACKGROUND

Snowboarding is a recreational sport that combines certain aspects of skiing and skateboarding. It is practiced on an elongated board with boot-binding fixtures, which allow a user to fasten the board to his boots. The board must be securely fastened to the user's boots while the user snowboards downhill. However, when walking or shuffling along a substantially level surface, the user must detach one or both boots from the board to easily move about.

During a typical day of snowboarding, a snowboarder may go on dozens of runs down a slope, each time having to detach and reattach his bindings to move about and get on and off the chairlift. For those reasons, it is desirable for boot bindings to be, on the one hand, secure and tightly fastened while snowboarding downhill, and on the other hand, easily detachable when moving around on even surfaces.

Despite the improvements noted above, there still exists a need to more easily facilitate the attachment and detachment of bindings. One problem with bindings that utilize straps currently know in the art is when the male strap becomes completely dislodged from the female connection piece, it is difficult to feed the male piece back through quickly and efficiently. This is especially true when the user is wearing gloves or mittens, which is generally the case when snowboarding or engaging in other cold-weather outdoor activities. Advantageously, a novel mechanism that obviates the need to feed a male end through a female end is shown and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,108,102, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes.

However, this novel mechanism can include strapping extensions with excess length when a boot is fully secured into the binding. Although this excess length advantageously loosens the strapping extension enough to allow the user's boot to go in an out when in an open position, tightening the strap to secure a boot in a closed position yields excess material that can create drag, add unwanted weight, and otherwise appear unpleasant. This dangling strap is not only a nuisance, but also poses a danger if caught on a tree or other hazard (above or under) in the snow if riding at full speed.

In view of the foregoing, a need exists for an improved system that makes attachment and detachment of bindings easier, as well as provides a customizable feature to help identify the user's equipment, in an effort to overcome the aforementioned obstacles and deficiencies of conventional binding systems.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of a binding assembly;

FIG. 2 is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of a stud that can be used with the binding assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of a strap secured into the stud of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the binding assembly of FIG. 1 on a snowboard;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating another embodiment of a stud that can be used with the binding assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of a channel and ladder system that can be used with the binding assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary flow-diagram illustrating instructions for installing the binding assembly of FIG. 1 onto a snowboard;

FIG. 8A is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of a pulley system in a first position that can be used to tighten the binding assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 8B is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a second position for tightening;

FIG. 8C is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a third position for tightening;

FIG. 8D is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a fourth position for tightening;

FIG. 9A is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a first position that can be used to loosen the binding assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 9B is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a second position for loosening;

FIG. 9C is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a third position for loosening; and

FIG. 9D is an exemplary top-level diagram illustrating one embodiment of the pulley system of FIG. 8A in a fourth position for loosening.

It should be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale and that elements of similar structures or functions are generally represented by like reference numerals for illustrative purposes throughout the figures. It also should be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the preferred embodiments. The figures do not illustrate every aspect of the described embodiments and do not limit the scope of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Since currently-available binding assemblies are deficient because they are a nuisance to put on over a traditional boot, a binding system that easily receives a snowboarding boot while securing any excess part can prove desirable and provide a basis for a wide range of athletic performance applications, such as the ability to strap into a snowboard or ski while keeping excess parts out of the way. These results can be achieved, according to one embodiment disclosed herein, by a binding system 100.

FIG. 1 shows the binding system 100 that includes a ladder strap 77, which can be installed on a snowboard (not shown). For example, the binding system 100 can include two attachment mechanisms, one for the ankle and one for the toe. Each of the binding mechanisms comprises at least one ladder strap 77, which can be fed through its corresponding female ratcheting mechanism 900 (shown in FIGS. 4-6, 8A_9D). Additionally and/or alternatively, the ratcheting mechanism can further include a brake system for use with a ladder strap 77 that is substantially smooth and can be locked into a closed or open position.

Additionally and/or alternatively, the ladder strap 77 can be extra-long and the end of each ladder strap 77 can include a stud (also shown as an end cap in FIG. 5), which is shown and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,108,102, which patent is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for all purposes. As described, the stud is capable of preventing the ladder strap 77 from slipping back through and disconnecting from the female ratcheting system 900, thereby preventing the male and female pieces from coming apart. In practice the user would connect the studs only after the ladder strap 77 and female ratcheting system 900 are connected. The combination of the stud with the amply elongated ladder strap 77 results in a binding connection that can be loosened to an open position to easily allow the boot in and out of the binding, but at the same time prevents the strap from coming all the way out. Although described as a stud, it should be understood that any material and/or geometric shape can be combined to prevent the ladder strap 77 and the female ratcheting system 900 from disconnecting. For example, an end cap described herein, a stud, a cross-bar, a custom molded strap, and so on can be used.

Stated in another way, the ladder strap 77 can be extra-long to keep the footbed of a snowboard binding assembly clear of any components when in the open position. Conventional strapping extensions are typically 7.5″ in length. By way of example, the ladder strap 77 can measure in length between of 10″-20″ (e.g., 18.74″) as desired. However, the dimensions are exemplary only and can be adjusted for different sizes depending on the user (e.g., men's sizes, women's sizes, children's sizes, and so on). Accordingly, the binding straps never need to fully come apart. Instead, “undoing the binding” results in the strap loosening enough to allow the user's boot to go in and out, but keeps the connection in place so that the user can quickly and easily lean over and re-strap his foot.

A conventional snowboard binding can be enhanced with the ladder strap 77 as known to those skilled in the art to have taken many forms. For example, there are many types of straps that can be utilized with the disclosed invention. Ladder straps or other ratcheting connections are of particular application in snowboarding equipment. A rope, wire, flat strap, and so on can also be used as desired based on the particular application. In a preferred embodiment, the ladder strap 77 comprises nylon. However, variations thereof—such as polyester or thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) materials—can also be used to provide different advantages based on application.

As previously discussed, the ladder strap 77 can result in excess length when a boot is fully secured into the binding and the ladder strap 77 is fed through its corresponding female ratcheting system 900. Although this excess length advantageously loosens the strapping extension enough to allow the user's boot to go in an out when in an open position, tightening the strap to secure a boot in a closed position yields excess material that can create drag, add unwanted weight, and otherwise appear unpleasant. This dangling strap is not only a nuisance, but also poses a danger if caught on a tree or other hazard (above or under) in the snow if riding at full speed.

Accordingly, the binding system 100 can include one or more individualized end caps 99, which is customizable and capable of attaching to a distal end of the ladder strap 77. FIG. 2 shows a perspective view of an exemplary end cap 99 that can receive the distal end of the ladder strap 77. The end caps 99 are configurable in any number of personalized shapes, including characters, strings, logos, icons and anything that attaches thereto. The end caps 99 can be connected to the ladder strap 77, such as shown in FIG. 3, by any means known in the art, including by screws, magnets, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro®), molds, adhesives, and the like. By way of example, the end caps 99 can be installed on the binding assembly shown and described in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 9,108,102 by fixedly or removably coupling the end cap 99 with the stud that prevents the ladder strap 77 from disengaging with the female ratcheting system 900.

The end cap 99 is configurable in any number of personalized shapes, including characters, strings, logos, icons and anything that attaches to show your own snowboard.

Turning back to FIG. 1, in a preferred embodiment, the end cap 99 includes one or more fastening assemblies 11. The fastening assemblies 11 can removably secure the distal end of the ladder strap 77 to the snowboard binding assembly (shown in FIG. 4), thereby hiding and temporarily coupling any excess portion of the ladder strap 77 with the rest of the binding. The fastening assembly 11 can include any known fastening mechanism for creating a temporary bond with the binding including, for example, adhesives, magnets, hook and loop fasteners (e.g., Velcro®), channels with tubes and fabrics, and so on. In a preferred embodiment, magnets are used to provide a fastening during a number of weather conditions.

As shown in FIG. 4, the fastening assembly 11 can be installed on a side portion of the binding assembly, for example, where the female ratcheting system 900 is installed on the binding. A corresponding fastening assembly 11 can reside internally or externally of the end cap 99. Therefore, when the ladder strap 77 is pulled through the female ratcheting mechanism, the end cap 99 can neatly rest over the female ratcheting system 900 and dynamically couple with the binding to avoid excess material hanging away from the binding system.

A single binding assembly can use any number of end caps 99, each having an optional fastening assembly 11 as desired. For example, each binding system 100 can include two attachment mechanisms, one for the ankle and one for the toe. A selected binding system 100 can include one end cap 99 having a fastening assembly 11 (and corresponding assembly on the binding portion) and one end cap 99 without a fastening assembly 11. This embodiment can be advantageous where the toe attachment mechanism does not produce an excessively long ladder strap 77 to be tucked away or hidden, but the ankle attachment mechanism results in a long ladder strap 77 to be secured out of the way. Additionally and/or alternatively, the selected binding system 100 can include both end caps 99, each having a fastening assembly 11 to individually hide any excess of their corresponding ladder straps 77.

In some embodiments, the fastening assembly 11 can be hidden in a fabric, such as shown in FIG. 1 to further provide a unique identifier of a user's snowboard and/or to protect the fastening assembly 11 from external hazards (e.g., snow, branches, and so on). Additionally and/or alternatively, the fastening assembly 11 can be replaced with a channel system on the female ratcheting system 900, such as shown in FIGS. 5-6. The channel system obviates the need for a fastening assembly 11 by providing a passage for any portion of the ladder strap 77 to rest, thereby reducing weight for professional athletic applications. In FIG. 5, the ladder strap 77 is shown in a closed position (without a boot in the binding system). The ladder strap 77 includes the end cap 99, shown here as a stud, for preventing the ladder strap 77 from disengaging with the female ratcheting system 900. FIG. 6 illustrates the ladder strap 77 in an open position wherein the ladder strap 77 is opened until the end cap 99 prevents the ladder strap 77 from disengaging with the female ratcheting system 900. As can be seen, the channel advantageously guides the ladder strap 77 in a single path. Although shown in FIGS. 6-7 as exposing the ladder strap 77 at selected portions, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the channel system can fully enclose the ladder strap 77 to avoid debris from coming into contact with the ladder strap 77. FIG. 7 illustrates one exemplary method for installing the binding system 100 onto a snowboard.

In some embodiments, although separately described as comprising a ladder strap 77 that does not disengage with the corresponding female ratcheting system 900, the advantages of the binding system 100 can be realized with a single ladder strap 77 that connects to both sides of the binding, thereby forming a loop/ellipse with the binding.

As previously described, because the binding straps never need to fully come apart, the binding system 100 advantageously keeps the connection in place so that the user can quickly and easily lean over and re-strap his foot. In other words, the user need only maneuver the ladder strap 77 further through the female ratcheting system 900 to move from the open position to the closed position. In some embodiments, a pulley system 800 (shown in FIGS. 8A-9D) can be used to further ease the process of tightening or loosening the ladder strap 77 through the female ratcheting system 900.

Turning to FIG. 8A, the pulley system 800 can include one or more cords or lines (e.g., metal wires) that attach to the ladder strap 77 and the female ratcheting system 900. These lines are preferably hidden from view, for example, by extending through a baseplate portion of the binding and up through a high-back portion of the binding where the lines terminate into a first handle 801 and a second handle 803. In some embodiments, the first handle 801 can control either the ankle or the toe strap while the second handle 803 can control the other (ankle or toe strap). In other embodiments, the first handle 801 can be used to tighten the one or more ladder straps 77 through the female ratcheting system 900 while the second handle 803 can be used to release the system into the “open position.”

By way of example, FIG. 8B shows that both the first handle 801 and the second handle 803 are in a resting position and the binding is in a closed position (shown here without a boot). FIG. 8B illustrates the first handle 801 being lifted from the resting position to be pulled away from the high-back of the binding assembly, such as shown in FIG. 8C. In FIG. 8C, the first handle 801 is shown being coupled to a metal wire 802, which is coupled to at least the ladder strap 77 described above. Once pulled away from the binding assembly, as shown in FIG. 8D, the metal wire 802 is taut and causes the ladder straps 77 to securely fasten with the female ratcheting system 900.

In some embodiments, the second handle 803 can be used to release the system into the open position, as shown in FIGS. 9A-9D. FIG. 9A shows the binding assembly in the closed position. The second handle 803 can be lifted from the rested position shown in FIG. 9B. Once pulled away from the binding assembly (shown in FIG. 9C), a second metal wire 804, which is coupled to the second handle 803 and the ladder strap 77 and/or the female ratcheting system 900 can be taut and cause the binding assembly to release into the open position.

In some embodiments, the first handle 801 and the second handle 803 can trigger a motorized system (not shown) that is installed, for example, in the high-back portion of the binding assembly to automate the closing and release of the ladder strap 77. By way of example, the motorized system can wind up the first metal wire 802 and/or the second metal wire 804 to pull the binding system into the closed position. A release button can be used to cause the motor to automatically release (or unwind) the metal wires 802/804 and cause the binding system to move into the open position.

Additionally and/or alternatively, although the foregoing is described with particular advantages for snowboarding, the advantages of the present system can similarly be realized with other athletic equipment. By way of example, the present system can be used for skiing, wakeboarding, moto-cross, helmet straps, medical/walking boots, and so on. For example, a conventional helmet can be enhanced with the ladder strap 77 as known to those skilled in the art to have taken many forms.

The described embodiments are susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, and specific examples thereof have been shown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the described embodiments are not to be limited to the particular forms or methods disclosed, but to the contrary, the present disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A device for preventing a strap of athletic equipment from becoming detached from a receptor piece, the device comprising: an end cap configured to securely attach to a distal end of a male strap, the male strap having been fed through a female receptor piece; and a screw connecting the end cap to the male strap, wherein the end cap prevents the male strap from disengaging with the female receptor piece and removably couples the distal end of the male strap with the athletic equipment.
 2. The device of claim 1, wherein the male strap and female receptor piece are part of a piece of sports and leisure equipment selected from the group of snowboard bindings, ski boots, moto-cross boots, helmets, wake board bindings, backpacks, fanny packs, luggage, climbing gear, and sweatshirts having strings.
 3. The device of claim 1, wherein the end cap removably couples the distal end of the male strap with the athletic equipment using magnets.
 4. The device of claim 1, wherein the end cap comprises at least one of a personalized shape, a character, an icon, an emblem, and a figurine.
 5. The device of claim 1, wherein the athletic equipment forms a channel to receive the distal end of the male strap when in a closed position.
 6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a pulley system disposed within the athletic equipment, the pulley system comprising a first wire coupled to the male strap and terminating into a first handle accessible on an exterior portion of the athletic equipment, a second wire coupled to the female receptor piece and terminating into a second handle accessible on the exterior portion.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein pulling at least one of the first and the second handle causes the male strap and the female receptor piece to be in a first position.
 8. The device of claim 6, further comprising a motor system coupled to the first handle and the second handle that automatically causes the male strap and the female receptor piece to be in a first position.
 9. A snowboarding binding assembly comprising: a baseplate; a high-back rotatably coupled to the baseplate and forming receiving cavity for a snowboarding boot; an elongated male strap fixedly attached at a first end to a first side of at least one of the high-back and the baseplate; a female receptor piece fixedly attached at a second side opposite than the first side of at least one of the high-back and the baseplate, and configured to receive the male strap; and an end cap configured to securely attach to a distal end being opposite of the first end of the elongated male strap, the elongated male strap having been fed through the female receptor piece; wherein the end cap prevents the male strap from disengaging with the female receptor piece and removably couples the distal end of the male strap to an outer portion of the female receptor piece.
 10. The snowboarding binding assembly of claim 9, wherein the end cap removably couples the distal end of the male strap with the outer portion of the female receptor piece using magnets.
 11. The snowboarding binding assembly of claim 9, wherein the end cap comprises at least one of a personalized shape, a character, an icon, an emblem, and a figurine.
 12. The snowboarding binding assembly of claim 9, wherein the female receptor piece forms a channel on the outer portion to receive the distal end of the male strap when in a closed position.
 13. The snowboarding binding assembly of claim 9, further comprising a pulley system disposed within the high-back, the pulley system comprising a first wire coupled to the male strap and terminating into a first handle accessible on an exterior portion of the high-back, a second wire coupled to the female receptor piece and terminating into a second handle accessible on the exterior portion.
 14. The snowboarding binding assembly of claim 13, wherein pulling at least one of the first and the second handle causes the male strap and the female receptor piece to be in a first position.
 15. The snowboarding binding assembly of claim 13, further comprising a motor system coupled to the first handle and the second handle that automatically causes the male strap and the female receptor piece to be in a first position. 